As I read it, I remembered my recent blog (23 October), where i described the excitement of running on the fells above Cat Bells and listening to Chick Corea’s “what game shall we play today?” 

Hannah’s reminded me that we all need games!  I’m glad to say that we have lots at The Larches on the top shelves above the books in the sitting room. There’s also a special wildlife quiz for children to do in the garden. Look out for it if you come to stay.  

The Guardian’s Martin Wainwright in a companion article states that there are now plans to return to the pre-Victorian ways in order to limit flood damage. The River Derwent and others will be allowed to meander through the fields to provide a larger flood plain and fellside ‘grips’ will be blocked. These are channels, which ironically were cut through wet lands in the 1960s to make them more usable for farming!

Fortunately The Larches is on higher ground and was only marginally affected by the floods last year. As the picture opposite shows the gulley by the garden gate could not take the volume of water cascading down the Ravine and we had to place a barrier just above the drainage point to divert the water and stop it backing up into the side path.

In the light of the floods in Cornwall this last week, let’s hope that the cuts the Government has proposed for flood control measures are now restored before further hardship and damage affects people living in areas vulnerable to flooding.

By exploring your local community, its history and culture, its housing and workplaces and the relationships between people and places, you could learn not only about where you lived but also about society and politics more generally. The idea led to lots of local research and pamphlets in the Nordic countries and the UK.

‘Dig where you stand’ is advice as relevant to the Thornthwaite and Cumbria of today as anywhere. There are farms and cottages worked by generations of families, lead mines and mineral deposits all over the wooded fellsides and evidence – if you look – of the social and economic changes that have taken place over the years. What can you tell for instance from the etching above of Seldom Seen in the 1790s?

One man who knows more about this local community than any was born in Braithwaite and moved to Seldom Seen when he was one year old. He lives still in the same house. 84 year old Victor Gardiner has been a forester, member of the Home Guard, naval gunner in the war, firefighter, taxi driver and parish councillor; and his grandfather was headmaster of the local primary school. He has one regret that he signed up for the navy only weeks before the land girls came to work in Thornthwaite Forest.

His knowledge of generations of local people, farming and land holdings, buildings, businesses and general gossip could fill volumes. (See his photo opposite with his dog Flossy). He has another distinction too.

He and his brother Harry, who owns the adjoining house, inhabit the oldest buildings in Seldom Seen, Nos 3 and 4 The Ravine beside the fast running Comb Beck. They were initially an office, living space and woollen mill dating back to the 1780s.

The photo opposite shows the back of the house, where the remains of what was the original woollen weaving shed abut the dwelling. If you are interested in finding out some more of the history of the area, give Victor a ring (Tel: 017687 78284) and arrange to go round to see him. He’s always happy to have a chat.

I saw the empty shells on the steps leading to the belvedere (see photo opposite) a few days ago and hoped that we’d catch sight of him. He’s shy and tends to come early in the morning. Yesterday when I was in the kitchen a movement outside caught my eye. It was 8.30 am.

The squirrel was on the feeder box, a bright russet bundle of bounding energy. Over the next 10 minutes he was back five times, always following the same route – up behind the left hand holly trunk, move round to the front, turn to the right, down head first to the feeder, pause on the ledge, inspect to see no danger from the house or path, then head under the flap to find a nut. Then he repeats the same route in reverse and scampers away up the fellside into the forest.

Curiously this time the nuts were all carried off. None were eaten immediately. Our guess is he thinks it’s time to be burying the nuts now for winter – we have seen this happen before. The snag of this? Squirrels often forget where the nuts are buried so we get a lot of small hazels sprouting up in the spring!

According to a report in the News and Star (28 December 2009) 12,000 people have tackled the new 7½ km Quercus trail and 10,000 have done the longer 19 km Altura route.

Bikes for renting are available at the Centre and there are opportunities also for coaching. There are plenty of other biking routes in the vicinity too, both on bridleways and on local roads. Books in The Larches’ library provide good examples and there is room to store bikes securely in the garage.

Oh yes and there’s one further point we should add – The Larches is only about 200 meters off the C2C cross country bike route, if you want to try out some sections before doing the whole route!